Determine what type of kids' book club you want to start. Will it be geared toward younger or older children? What type of books will be included, such as fiction or non-fiction, picture books or chapter books, science fiction or fantasy, educational or purely for fun? Will the books vary each time or will there be a planned series? Should the children read them together at the club meetings, or read on their own and talk about them at the club meetings? For older children reading chapter books, it might be more appropriate to have them read at home and talk about the book at meetings, or read short sections together at meetings and the rest at home. For younger children, you will probably want to have them read the book together, or have an adult read the book to them and then talk about simple concepts.
Organize the club. Decide on a basic set of rules and guidelines for club members and their parents. Think about who will decide what books to read, how often meetings should be held, whether not parents need to remain for the meeting, who will provide drinks or snacks, and how the club will function. Also, decide who will run the meeting and be responsible for supervising the children.
Find a location for meetings. Libraries often have special rooms available for book club meetings, are enthusiastic about working with kids' groups and typically do not charge for use of space. The drawback to libraries is that scheduling may not work with your intended meeting times. Bookstores also may be glad to offer space for a kids' book club, but may not offer private space and shoppers may distract from or interrupt meetings. Restaurants, especially if geared toward children, might be a fun place to meet, but they can get pricey and the atmosphere could be too distracting for younger children. Malls often have play areas or other areas suitable for regular meetings, though kids may be distracted by the activity around them and shoppers may interrupt. On the other hand, meeting in visible public places is a good way to gain new membership. Public parks are wonderful places to meet when the weather is fine, but you will need an alternate meeting place in case of bad weather. Private homes are often comfortable places to meet, but it can be a lot of work for the adults involved.
Advertise your new kids' book club. Put up fliers in local book stores, libraries, grocery stores, daycare centers, schools and any other places that mothers and children frequently visit. Run a classified ad in your local newspaper, and consider advertising online. Tell all your friends and family, even those without children, about your new club and ask them to pass the information on to anyone they think might be interested.
Check with local radio stations, newspapers and television stations to see if they will announce meetings in their calendar of events. Let your local Chamber of Commerce know about your club as well. Chambers of Commerce often keep lists of local clubs and organizations and include their meetings on their calendars of events.